Heirloom vegetables have a lot going for them. They have much more variety in flavor and appearance, and their taste hasn't been engineered away to make them look good after traveling across the country in a truck.

Unfortunately for the home gardener, they can be trickier to grow because they have also not been developed to withstand challenging conditions. That can spell trouble and disappointment for a home gardener who just wants a delicious tomato at the end of the season.

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